FITCHBURG — The mother of missing 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver has been found competent to stand trial.

After reviewing a report from doctors at the Worcester Recovery Center, Fitchburg District Court Judge Margaret Guzman ruled Friday that Elsa Oliver, 28, is mentally able to stand trial on charges of reckless endangerment of a child, and being an accessory after the fact.

After ruling on Ms. Oliver's case, Judge Guzman ordered her sent to the Worcester County House of Correction where she will be held without bail because she was held in contempt of court for failing to tell a Juvenile Court judge where her son is. If the contempt ruling is lifted, $100,000 cash bail was set in her case. Her next court appearance in February 21.

As Ms. Oliver's case was ending, four women were removed from the courtroom for commenting when the judge ruled on the case.

Police then attempted to clear everyone else out of the courtroom, but Sandrino Oliver, the missing child's paternal uncle, started yelling and demanding that Ms. Oliver say where Jeremiah is. He was removed from the courtroom, and arrested outside on a charge of contempt of court.

Back inside the courtroom, the judge told Mr. Oliver she is very sympathetic to the heartache he is going through, but she said she was concerned for the safety of others in the courtroom during his outburst.

"Your behavior is inappropriate," she said.

Judge Guzman said that she was willing to overlook his behavior if he assured her he would never do it again. She also said that if anyone disrupts the case in the future, he or they will be barred from the courtroom. She then released Mr. Oliver.

Mr. Oliver apologized through his lawyer, and said he would control himself.

While Mr. Oliver was being arrested outside court, his brother, Jose Oliver, father of Jeremiah Oliver, had to be led way from a group of women whom he suddenly started yelling at. The women, who were standing in front of the courthouse steps, women were among the four who had been removed from the courtroom earlier. They have been among regular supporters of Mr. Oliver at past hearings. When he confronted them, they reacted with surprise and concern. One of the women who was reached later would not comment on the incident.

Before Ms. Oliver's appearance in court, Jose Oliver told reporters he was there hoping to hear his wife say where his son is. He said he has offered to speak with Mrs. Oliver to see if she would tell him where the boy is. Mr. Oliver said he has been in regular contact with Mrs. Oliver's sister, Pauline Martinez of Connecticut. He said Mrs. Martinez has been allowed to speak to his wife and has asked her where Jeremiah is.

"She answered her, 'Why? What is going on? It is the rapture,' " he said.

Mr. Oliver said he was not sure what the statement meant. He said either his wife does not know what is going on around her, or she is pretending she does not know what is going on.

"I don't think she is crazy," he said. "I think she is afraid."

Mr. Oliver also criticized the state Department of Children and Families for its handling of Jeremiah's case.

"I blame the DCF in the sense that they were irresponsible in their duties," he said. "If they went there when they were supposed to, my son would be here."

Mrs. Oliver was represented in court by lawyer James Gavin Reardon of Worcester. Following the hearing, Mr. Reardon said that earlier his client seemed on the verge of paranoia but she now seems better.

"Speaking with her today, it seems her condition has improved," he said.

Mr. Reardon said a lawyer must scale high hurdles to show that a client is not able to stand trial.

"Is she able to work with her attorney? That is still a very live issue," he said.

The case involving Alberto Sierra, 22, Mrs. Oliver's boyfriend, was also scheduled for a hearing Friday. Mr. Sierra is charged with two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and two counts of assault and battery on a child with injury. He did not appear in court, but was also represented by Mr. Reardon. His own attorney, Alan Black, was tied up with another case. The only action in his case was to continue a order waiving Mr. Sierra's appearance in court for hearings other than hearings where evidence is presented.